Both goalies kept the game scoreless through regulation as Auld recorded
his first shutout in more than three years despite losing the game.

"I never thought I'd get a shutout without a win," Auld said. "It's kind
of crazy."

Auld joined Miikka Kiprusoff, the only
other goalie to record a shutout in a loss. Kiprusoff was the loser in
Philadelphia's 1-0 shootout win over Calgary on Dec. 6, 2005, the first
scoreless game in NHL history to be decided in that manner.

"It's frustrating, I guess, but at the same time we're playing better
and we're that close, and we've got to keep that in mind and realize
that a goal here and there can really make a difference for us," said
Auld, who lost 1-0 in Atlanta on Saturday.

Kovalev shot first for Montreal, beating Auld with a backhander. After Ville
Peltonen scored on Florida's opener for the only shot to get by
Huet all night, Koivu deked Auld before scoring on the Canadiens' second
shot.

"After Kovy went, I was kind of able to see how he played it," Koivu
said. "I had a chance to go either backhand or bring it back to my
forehand, and he slid across after my first move so I just decided to
come back."

Huet stopped Olli Jokinen and Joe
Nieuwendyk on the Panthers' final two shots, drawing a huge
cheer from the sellout crowd of 21,273.

"You don't think about the shutout because it's so tight," Huet said.
"You think about the win."

The French goalie recorded his sixth straight win and second shutout of
the season, reducing his goals-against average to 1.93 and raising his
save percentage to .943, both NHL bests.

Huet, who won 4-0 in Carolina on Nov. 2, made 36 saves overall,
including 13 in the first period, 14 in the third and two in overtime.

Auld earned his first shutout with Florida and the Panthers' first of
the season. Auld, who made his fourth start in five games, had gone 90
games since recording his first career shutout on March 23, 2003, with
Vancouver against Washington.

"We ran into some hot goalies the last couple of games and sometimes
that happens," Auld said.

He stopped all 37 shots he faced in regulation, including 18 in the
second, and two more in overtime.

"The goalies played well and even if there were over 30 shots for both
teams," Koivu said, "I don't think either one of the teams really had
that many great chances. We had two posts and they had two posts, but
other than that I think it was a pretty even-up, tight-checking game for
both teams."

Montreal, which lost 4-2 to Philadelphia on Saturday, has yet to lose
consecutive games this season.

Florida has lost four straight and nine of 11.

Michael Ryder, who missed the Canadiens' third chance in the
shootout, had several good chances during the game, including a
backhander that beat Auld but went just wide of the left post with just
more than 1 minute remaining in the third and a shot wide of the right
post in overtime.

Stephen Weiss had the Panthers' best scoring chance in
regulation early in the second.

Huet made a pad save on Weiss' backhander on a partial breakaway, then
caught a break when the Panthers' center recovered his own rebound in
the right corner and circled back in front before hitting the right post
3:15 into the middle period.

"We just couldn't buy one, again," Weiss said. "We're doing some good
things, we just have to keep at it and eventually they'll start going
in."

Notes

Panthers RW Juraj Kolnik did not accompany the team for its
two-game Canadian trip because of a groin injury.

Florida D Mike Van Ryn returned to the lineup after missing two
games because of the flu.